262 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



was the most difficult for survey operations that I 

 have seen. Dense jungle and tall grass with 

 fearful canes everywhere. You could take a sight 

 nowhere. Lines had to be cleared before we could 

 make any progress. We had scarcely cleared a 

 mile or two of pathway, when we missed one of our 

 Madrassees. He was not missed till we got home 

 in the evening. Fancying he might have strayed away 

 and got lost in the jungle, we kindled large fires, 

 kept shouting out at intervals, and I got the police 

 to fire off an occasional shot, thinking that if he 

 were within hearing this might direct him to our 

 camp. Next day search-parties were organised and 

 the country carefully scoured, but the men would 

 not go far for fear of losing themselves, the jungle 

 being so dense. After a two days' wait and 

 continuous search we were obliged to go on with 

 our work, having reported the circumstance to 

 head-quarters. On the fourth day after the dis- 

 appearance of the man, a second Madrassee was 

 missing. We had a suspicion that the first man 

 had deserted, but in this instance that could not 

 be, as we were too far advanced into the heart 

 of the jungle for the man to find his way back 

 alone. It could not be dacoits, as they would not 

 molest a coolie with nothing valuable about him, and 

 as we were well out of the Wa country, that being 

 on the other side of the river, the head-hunters 

 were not to be feared. The general opinion was 

 that this man had also strayed away into the 

 forest and had become lost ; he might find his 

 way to some Shan settlement on the hills, or stray 



